A Bond Between Brothers
by Priestess Mayumi
Summary: Akito sends for Ayame out of the blue to talk about Yuki. How will Ayame respond and what will happen to the two silver-haired brothers?
1. Chapter 1

A Bond Between Brothers

I love the bond between Ayame and Yuki! They really are sweet. This will probably be short…but here it goes!

Rated for violence and angst

Enjoy and review!!!

Oh…I don't own Furuba (though I wish I did).

**Chapter One:**

Ayame pulled up his coat's fur collar around his throat, trying to stifle his cough. He was very susceptible to the cold, and today was certainly no exception. It was freezing, and his breath was leaving a frozen trail across the air. These weren't the kind of conditions that he liked being out in, but today he had no choice. Akito had summoned him.

Only heaven knew why Akito had done so. Ayame had never been close to the great head of the Soma family. He never saw Akito, except for New Year's. It was always his younger brother, Yuki, who occupied the place of honor at Akito's table, a fact that had angered him for years as a child. He remembered sitting with Shigure and Hari at the Zodiac Banquet every year. Once in a while, he'd turn around to glare at his little brother, especially when Yuki coughed. _What makes that little rat brother of mine so special that he's the one that gets to sit next to Akito-sama? He's way younger than Kureno, Shigure, Hatori, Ritsu, Rin, or me! How come he gets pampered and the rest of us get tossed away like spoiled milk. _

Ashamed of himself, Ayame bowed his head. How could he have ever thought such terrible, cruel things about his own younger brother? He had wanted Akito's attention, never knowing that the head of the Soma family caused such strong fear in Yuki. All these years later, Ayame didn't know what had transpired between Akito and Yuki in their childhood, but it had traumatized his little brother to such a degree that Yuki was only now starting to recover, thanks to Miss Tohru's calming influence.

Shivering one more time with a "burr…" Ayame knocked on the door to the main house where Akito lived. Only a moment passed before the door opened and Ayame looked into the deep brown eyes of…

"Hari-san! So nice to see you! I…"

"Shh…Ayame. I've got a big enough headache as it is." Hatori reached up to rub his red eyes sleepily. It looked like he'd been up for hours, gulping down gallons of coffee to stay awake.

Concerned for his cousin, Ayame questioned, "Hari, you look bushed. Busy lately?"

Rubbing his temples, Hatori replied, "Not exactly. Akito's just not in a great mood these days."

Ayame gulped. When Akito was angry, trouble always followed. If Akito was in such a crummy mood, why had he been called for? "Who put curry in Akito's tea?"

Hatori shrugged. "Just _don't _get him riled up, okay? I've spent most of the morning trying to calm him down."

Ayame nodded and, as an afterthought, added, "You don't need to pretend with me, Hari. I know that Akito is a…you know."

Hatori gave a quick nod and motioned for Ayame to come inside the house. They walked down the quiet hallways to the last room on the right, where Hatori cautiously opened the door, letting the final rays of sunlight fall into the darkness of Akito-sama's chamber.

As Ayame walked away from his cousin, Hatori put a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "Remember, don't get…_her_ upset."

Again, Ayame merely nodded, and stepped into the darkness as Hatori closed the door behind him.

On the floor sat the most revered and feared member of the entire Soma household. Turning away from the pink sunset shining through the thin paper doors, she turned to face Ayame with dark, emotionless black eyes.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my precious little snake. It's been a while, Ayame."

Uncharacteristically humble, Ayame bowed before the young woman. "Akito-sama." An awkward silence followed, until Ayame dared to look up into Akito's eyes and say, "you sent for me?"

Smiling, Akito reached out a hand and stroked Ayame's long, silver hair. "That I did." Drawing her hand back, Akito reached down to tap on the wooden floor. "I called you here to tell you the wonderful news. Soon, quite soon, your little brother will be coming back to join us here in Soma house."

Confused, Ayame stared at Akito hard. "But, I thought that he was going to stay at Shigure's…at least until he graduates!"

Laughing wickedly, Akito smirked, "Don't worry. I have a feeling that he'll be here much sooner than that. _Much_ sooner."

Fear started to swell in Ayame's heart. "What…what are you planning for Yuki?"

Instantly, Akito turned on him. "Who are _you _to speak to me like that? Why do you think that neither I nor your parents ever call for you? It's because you are a worthless failure! No one wants you! The only one who cares about you is that equally worthless loser Shigure! What I do is none of your concern. Yuki will return to me, and he will _never _leave."

Ayame's breath became hurried. His brother couldn't return to Soma house, kept in Akito's dark apartments, never to see the sunlight in the real world again!

Seeing Ayame's turmoil, Akito smirked and said, "That's right, Ayame. Yuki will return to me, and when he does, I will _never_ let him out of my sight! He'll stay here, locked up in darkness **until the day he dies!**"

"No."

Akito froze, and slowly brought her eyes up to Ayame's golden ones. "What?"

"I said 'no'. No. No! I won't let you keep my brother here! I refuse to let him suffocate here in the darkness, all alone without anyone to love him!"

"_I_ am with him," hissed Akito.

"_You_ are the one whom he fears most!" Ayame couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. He'd never spoken up to his own parents (except for Yuki's PTC incident), so who did he think he was speaking to _Akito-sama_ this way? But even though he was aware of the anger growing within his master, he kept speaking. "You've never given him love! The only thing you've _ever_ given him is fear, neglect, doubt, and hate! I'm tired of seeing my little brother hurt! I won't ever let Yuki get hurt again! _I _will protect him."

The pure hatred in Akito's eyes was unmistakable. It was flashing through the darkness, just like the metal hidden under her sleeve that she pulled out as she whispered, "How can you protect him if you're dead?"

In that moment, Hatori dropped his steaming hot coffee at the sound of Ayame's blood-chilling scream.


	2. Chapter 2

"Greetings, everyone. And how have you been, little brother?"

In the words of Ayame, greetings! Thanks to everyone who has read and/or reviewed so far! It means a lot to me. I hope you will continue to like this story.

Tuliharja: I thought it was interesting that Akito and Ayame never have a lot of interaction, and seeing as a great deal of the other Zodiac members have silently or otherwise stood up to their master at one time or another, I wanted to see what it would be like if Ayame spoke up for Yuki. I've always felt a little sorry for Ayame…because of Akito and his parents, his chances of becoming close to his little brother were dashed. I can't promise anything about the physical state of Ayame during this fanfic. I still really haven't decided.

mousecat: Thank you so much for the compliment! I tried to make the feelings between Akito and Ayame concerning Yuki as contrasting and intense as I could. Once again, I can't promise anything about what will happen to Ayame. Hatori _will_ be involved though. I find it interesting how he tries to protect the members of the Zodiac, despite his fierce loyalty to Akito.

nova: Thanks for reading! I think that the amount of Aya-Yuki fics should be _widely_ expanded. I just love their characters and the unique connection that they share despite all the obstacles.

Warning: Fortune cookies were not invented in China. Oh, and there will be a little blood in this chapter, so don't read on a squeamish stomach (unless of course that's what you do to feel better…which is weird, but okay, I have strange habits too).

**Chapter Two:**

Ayame continued to scream as he tried to edge away from Akito, but his deranged master had a deadly aim. Ayame's body had always been _highly_ sensitive, perhaps even more so than his brother's. His pale white skin was now covered with spots of red. Akito continued to mercilessly stab the snake, and every wound caused Ayame to get weaker and weaker.

Ayame didn't know how much longer he'd be able to hold up under Akito's assault. His body was feeling heavy and numb, and the room was starting to spin around him.

Surely, Akito wouldn't actually kill him, would he? He was a member of the Zodiac, after all. Would Akito actually sever their sacred bond by taking Ayame's life? No, certainly not. Ayame figured that Akito would torture him a while longer and then make the snake beg for forgiveness.

That would be a problem. Ayame didn't feel sorry for anything that he had said. The only thing he regretted was that he had not said it sooner, back when it might have mattered. That wasn't important now. All Ayame thought about was Yuki, his tei-chan. Why couldn't he have seen it sooner? All the signs that Yuki was being abused had been before his eyes. Why hadn't he **done** something?

Despite Tohru-san's kind advice, Ayame once again began to regret his life. He had been given so many chances to reach out to Yuki, so why hadn't he?

Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in his side, and Ayame let out another cry. Akito had plunged her knife straight under the left side of his ribs and was proceeding to drive it in deeper. Ayame, trying to find some reprieve, moved farther away from Akito, only to find that he was now fenced in a corner, and at Akito's mercy. That was a very dangerous place to be, considering Akito had little mercy for anyone that went against his divine will.

As his head started to spin, the room before him began to blur, and the memories of his childhood began to resurface…

_Ayame was fifteen years old. Yuki, his younger brother, was five. Ayame had wandered down the halls, looking for his cousins Hari-san and Shigure-kun. They were playing hide-and-seek, and Hatori was quite effective at not being found. In fact, Ayame and Shigure were starting to suspect that the reason Hatori liked the game so much was because their cousin actually _liked _getting away from them._

_Ayame hardly ever saw Yuki, and so he acknowledged him even less. They were more like strangers than brothers._

_As Ayame scanned the area of the estate he had wandered into, his golden eyes checking and re-checking every area for his cunning family members, he heard the sharp, angry voice of his mother._

"_Yuki! Stop it!"_

_Curiosity killed the cat, not the snake, so Ayame edged towards the sound. The door to the room was wide open, as was the door from the room to the patio. Ayame's angry mother was pulling little silver-haired Yuki by the wrist. The five-year-old, eyes hidden under his hair, was vainly trying to pull away from their mother, obviously trying to avoid something, though Ayame didn't know what._

"_Why are you being so disobedient?"_

_The fact that her youngest son didn't answer her question only served to make the Soma mother angrier. "YUKI! I'll HIT you!"_

_That took Ayame briefly aback. He'd heard rumors of his mother hitting her younger son, but he'd learned in his short fifteen years not to believe anything whispered within the walls of Soma house. He'd regarded them as simply gossip, without any basis in fact. Yet, here his mother was, threatening to hit Yuki for refusing to do who knew what. _

Now an adult, Ayame realized that he should have stepped in that day. He should have come between his mother and Yuki. He could have saved his brother and himself a lot of pain.

_Brushing the matter aside, Ayame turned away from the scene and walked quickly past, resuming his search for Hatori and Shigure. After all, he reasoned, it had nothing to do with him. And, in the grand scheme of things, Ayame figured that Yuki probably deserved whatever he was getting. And so, when he heard his mother's open hand connect with Yuki's frail, sickly body, he felt __nothing_.

That wasn't the first time that Ayame Soma had pushed his little sibling away, and it most certainly wasn't his last.

Ayame was pulled out of his reverie when his back hit the corner of the wall and the blade of Akito's knife connected with his neck.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you, you vain, prideful, arrogant -!" Ayame's ears stung at Akito's cruel noun. "You are a worthless, disobedient, and ungrateful snake and I will KILL you!" The metal cut deeper into Ayame's neck, but the pain didn't even register to him anymore. He was too far away.

No matter how many times he had heartlessly pushed Yuki away, his brother had never done the same. Even when Yuki called him and idiot and tried to get rid of him, he did it kindly. Yuki tried to bridge the gap between them the best that he knew how. Ayame could remember all the times that Yuki had surprised him with words like,

"_Nii-san, you may be an idiot…but I don't think that you are a fool."_

Or…

"_My nii-san may be…extravagant, but he is __**not **__worthless."_

Akito continued yelling obscenities at his elder cousin, but to Ayame, it sounded like the Soma god was speaking under water. In fact, the only thing that Ayame could do was mumble "Yuki…Yuki…Y-uki…"

Then there was a slam at the door. "Aki…Ayame!"

Akito snarled at the figure in the doorway. "Get out Hatori! You're too late!"

Persistently, Hatori pushed his way into the room. Shoving past Akito, he grabbed his cousin's arm and started pulling towards the door. But, like Akito had said, it was just too late! As he pulled Ayame's arm, there was a splash of red blood and Hatori's eyes widened in fear and shock as part of Ayame's body fell to the ground with a sickening thud.


	3. Chapter 3

Once again, thanks for all the reviews! I get goose bumps every time there is a new one. Keep the reviews coming, and I will keep the chappies rolling!

Tuliharja- They are both very strong characters, Akito and Ayame…just strong in different aspects of the word. Poor Ayame and Yuki didn't really have a happy childhood…but it made them strong. No, Akito isn't nice, and she's not letting Ayame get off easy. Yuki will come next chapter, and I plan to make it very emotional. I too am still amused by Ayame's stance against Akito.

Osaka-chan4- Can't promise anything about Ayame's well-being. Thank you SO much for the compliments. It will get more suspenseful as we go on, hopefully. I hope you stay with me!

Mousecat- Akito's just violent, period. Poor Hatori, he has a habit of unfortunate timing. If Yuki was forced back to Akito at this point, I truly think he would die…but that's my opinion. I liked putting the flashback in. That was always one of the saddest manga chapters for me, and I thought it would symbolize their early relationship well. In truth, I haven't decided if I will separate the brothers. Would you all kill me if I did?

.rules- Hey girl. Happy that we have a day off tomorrow? I am. Thanks for reading…I'm sorry to torment you with not posting for a while. I hope you and your little sis will stay with me!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket. That's kind of a no-brainer, but hey.

The ending of this chapter will be a little lighter than everything else so far. I started depressing even myself. After this fic is over, I will be writing an entire fluff story for self-counseling. Well, without further ado…

**Chapter Three:**

Needless to say, Hatori pulled Ayame out of that room as quickly as he could, forcing the door shut behind them. They lay in the hallway for moments, gasping out fast, scared breaths. Hatori gathered his cousin in his arms, surprised. Ayame was much frailer than Hatori would have ever guessed. He, in fact, feared to hold his cousin too tight, for fear that he might shatter into pieces like a glass doll.

Ayame was shivering violently in fear and in shock. His thin body was quivering like a rabbit under Hatori's touch. Ayame's clothes were stained in blood, and there was a wound on his side, weeping blood, that badly needed attention. Hatori mentally cursed. He couldn't leave Ayame here in this state, and he didn't have any medical supplies on hand. He would simply have to make due with whatever was around.

"Hari…san…" Ayame's weak plea startled Hatori, and he looked down into Ayame's gold eyes. "A…a…arigato, cousin." A chill shot through Hatori's spine. Ayame needed help desperately. Akito had unleashed the fullness of her wrath, and Ayame had been the one to bear it.

Furtively, Hatori stripped off his cousin's coat and shirt. His body was covered in bruises and red gashes. Giving the wounds a quick glance, Hatori was relieved to see that, with the exception of the wound on Ayame's side, all the injuries seemed to be superficial. He laid two fingers on Ayame's neck to evaluate his pulse, and was horrified to feel a warm liquid there.

There was a long, red, deep gash down Ayame's throat. Hatori shivered, realizing that his cousin had been seconds away from dying. Hatori dug into his pockets and found the remains of some gauze bandages and some rubbing alcohol. Hatori didn't like when Ayame got drunk (it made him more crazy than usual, if that was humanly possible), but at this moment, he wished he had some sake to give the wounded man, for the pain if for nothing else. It was frightening to see the light gone from Aaya's eyes and the perpetual smile gone from his face. It was terrifying.

He took the gauze and alcohol and started administering to his cousin's wounds, starting with the more serious ones. He'd bind the wounds the best he could for now, and then take Ayame back to his house to further care for him.

It was then that Hatori's gaze fell back upon the piece of Ayame's body that was now gone. His eyes stung with salty tears. It wasn't so much the loss of it that bothered him, but more the fact that it was such a representation of Ayame's pride. That, Hatori thought, was the worst thing that Ayame could possibly lose.

"Hari-san…"

"Please, Ayame. Don't speak. You're in a lot of trouble as it is."

Ayame's face fell and a sad smile appeared on his face. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry to cause you so much trouble. Gomenasai…"

"No! No! I didn't mean…" Hatori fumbled. He hadn't meant to insinuate that Ayame was the trouble, but that was how it had sounded. He felt like he was doing his poor, injured cousin more harm than good.

"Hari-san, I think I finally understand. I…please tell me the truth. I know you know it. Don't protect me. When Yuki was young, did Akito…did she…" Ayame's voice dropped to a low, hollow whisper, "…do _this_?"

Hatori would have loved to lie and tell Ayame that such things had not happened, but he could not. He simply hung his head in pain. His silence gave Ayame the answer he wanted.

"Kami…" A soft crying broke the silence and stunned Hatori to his core. Ayame, his overconfident, tenacious cousin, was _crying_. He'd never seen Ayame cry, and the very thought caused him pain.

"I could…I could have…protected him! I could have saved him from this but I…but I…I turned him away like a cur. I..." Ayame, unable to finish, broke down into a flood of tears. He sobbed and sobbed like a child and threw himself into Hatori's arms. Try as he might, the dragon could not console the snake. What Ayame didn't know is that he wasn't the only one guilty of not protecting Yuki. There were others that would carry the same guilt all of their lives.

* * *

"Arigato, Hari-san." Ayame told his cousin, slipping his coat back on. Hatori had tended to Ayame's wounds the best he could and, despite Hatori's protests, Ayame would not accept his invitation to spend the night.

"Ayame, you can't think of going _anywhere _in that sort of condition, plus it's cold tonight. You wouldn't last a minute on the streets. You'd transform and then who knows what could happen? Stay here, onegai."

"Arigato for your concern, Hari-san, but there's someplace else I must be. I'll be all right. I _do_ have a coat."

"That's not a coat! It's a raggedy shawl _wishing_ it was a coat!" Hatori was right. Akito had slashed straight through Ayame's clothing and it was full of holes and drenched in blood. Hatori's cousin was so sensitive to the cold…he couldn't with a good conscience allow Ayame out into the night with something like _that_ covering him. Giving Ayame a signal to wait, Hatori slipped to his closet and pulled out one of his heavier coats. He wrapped it around Ayame's shivering shoulders.

"Hari-san! I can't…"

Hatori shook his head, a sign that he would not take 'no' for an answer. Ayame smiled and bowed to his cousin, then turned to walk out the door.

"Ayame?"

Ayame turned back quickly. His cousin gave him a sad smile. "Dry clean it, and then send it back."

Ayame smiled warmheartedly. It was a comfort to know that, in a world as sad and lonely as this, there were people like Hatori and Tohru-san.

* * *

As the door to "Ayame" entered, Mine turned around expectantly. "Ayame! I've wondered where you were! I decided to branch out and go with something a bit eclectic today! I can't wait for you to…" Mine's voice died in her throat as she gasped.

Ayame's face fell, and he reached up to stroke his silver hair nervously. His shimmering tresses were now gone, shorn just beneath his chin. Hari had been in time to stop Akito from slitting Ayame's throat, but as he jerked his cousin away, Akito had hacked off Ayame's hair. Now it was gone and, as Hatori had feared, some of his pride and confidence had gone with it.

It was silent for a moment. Ayame couldn't imagine what Mine was thinking. She'd never seen him without long hair. Heavens, _no one_ had ever seen him without long hair. He was afraid of what she would say.

"Oh, Ayame…I just LOVE your new hair! It's so vogue! That's my boss! Always being new and daring! But, heaven's sake! You should sue the parlor that cut it! It's so ragged. Come here, I'll tidy it up for you. I'm quite handy with scissors, you know!"

Ayame's smile quickly returned. How could he have _ever_ thought that Mine would mock him? He realized that he loved this girl.

"So," said Ayame, sitting down in a chair opposite a huge mirror, "you've got something new you wanted me to take a look at?"

Smiling, Mine nodded. "That's right! I thought I was crazy at first, but it turned out _so_ nicely that I'm glad I did it."

"Okay, hit me with your best!"

_Snip, snip._ "Well, you know the new evening dress we designed? With the frills and the raised top skirt?"

"Yes, quite a work of art, wasn't it?"

"Yes, and for a while, I thought I favored the green and pale yellow, but today, I went with something a bit more…drastic."

"How drastic?"

_Snip, snip._ "Orange."

Ayame's eyes widened. "ORANGE?" He knew how Mine felt about orange, and he felt very much the same way. It was a very impossible color, unless it was watered down or toned brown. "Orange? Are you sure it's not…cream sickle, or burnt autumn?"

"No. It's definitely orange. I know, I was a little iffy about it too. But, once I added the pink trim, took down the shoulder line, away from the face, and tinted the ruffles…well, it was a miracle!"

Her light-heartedness made him smile with delight, as did her ingenuity. "It sounds fascinating! I'd love to see it and…Mine, speaking of miracles!" Ayame stared at the reflection in the mirror. Mine had smoothed out his cropped hair and layered it around his delicate bone structure. With a grin, he realized that he now looked even more like Yuki than before.

Mine smiled at the praise. "I'm glad you like it. I think it looks so hot! In fact…" Mine's hand trailed up to her two pigtails. "I…would hate to be out of style." Mine took the scissors in her hand, and Ayame grabbed her arm.

"Mine, onegai, you don't…" his voice cut off as he looked into the young woman's eyes. They were slowly filling with tears, but her smile was as bright and cheerful as ever. It was then that Ayame realized that Mine _knew._ She knew that he hadn't planned this haircut on purpose, and that the shaggy cut wasn't the work of a novice salon worker. Mine knew. Somehow, she _always_ knew.

"I think…I think I'll go see Yuki tomorrow." Ayame said with a smile.

Smiling back at him, Mine raised the scissors and said, "I think that would be a wonderful idea. I'll come with you."

"Arigato, Mine-suren."

Mine's brown pigtails fell to the floor, along with the tears of both the clothing designers.

Unknown to both of them, they were not out of danger yet.


	4. Chapter 4

Yep, I'm terrible. I know. But, hey, I'm BACK!!!

I've been way busy and the only reason I'm sitting down to write is because I have pneumonia and my doctor didn't want me going to school.

Tuliharja- Oh, Akito has barely gotten started. It's gonna be bad. And yes, brave as Aya was, it was a really stupid thing to do. I hope this chapter is emotional enough for you and not too cheesy. Hatori is very thoughtful, but even as I made him that caring, I tried to keep his sarcastic wit with the dry-cleaning line. I LOVE Mine! I've loved her ever since I met her and even I cried when I wrote the part about her cutting off her hair to comfort Ayame.

mousecat- It's sad that there's not a lot written about Mine/Ayame. And, you're right, there were many people that could have helped Yuki as a child, but chose not to. For all that Ayame is crazy, he truly is a very honest, sincere person.

.rules- Thanks sweetie. I also miss Ayame's hair. So sad.

osaka-chan4- Yep. Aya and Mine's hair is gone. I know, very sad. And yes, he's very lucky that he ended up with a Yuki-do instead of dying. I love your picture BTW.

BondSlave- Thank you so much for reading with such enthusiasm! It makes me very happy when people enjoy my work (and leave long reviews *hint hint*) Yes, the first thing Ayame does after the curse is lifted is to kiss Mine. Be very afraid for them. There's a storm coming.

And now…the moment you've all been waiting for…a YUKI chapter!

**Chapter Four:**

Yuki rubbed the remaining sleepy-sand out of his eyes. He was definitely **not** a morning person, but having Honda-san around made getting up easier and easier every day. He raised his eyes to see Kyo glaring at him across the table. _Stupid cat._

But Kyo wasn't the worst of his problems. No, that prize definitely went to…

"YUKI-KUUUUUUN! Don't let Tohru's delicious breakfast go to waaaaaaste!" The dog's annoying voice broke through his tired brain. _Just once…just once I'd like to sock him through a wall._ He couldn't, though. As bothersome as Shigure was, Yuki owed him a great debt for rescuing him from Akito. Yuki would rather tolerate the annoying dog than try to appease the angry, vicious, young god.

"Yuki-kun? Are you not hungry? Is there something wrong with the food?" Yuki looked up again into the beautiful brown eyes of Honda-san, filled with worry. He didn't like that look in her eyes.

"Oh, no Honda-san! I love your cooking!" Yuki immediately picked up his silverware and started shoving forkfuls of the breakfast into his mouth.

"Heh…you eat like a bull you dang rat. Save some for the rest of us." Yuki paused momentarily to glare at Kyo and then continued eating.

"AHH! Yuki-kun!" cried Tohru. "You'll make yourself sick like that!"

"SICK?! Perish the thought!"

All four household occupants turned towards the sound of the voice by the door. _No…no…no! Not…_

"Aaya!" Shigure shouted for joy and frankly leaped across the breakfast table to embrace his cousin. Only when he was a few inches from Ayame's face did he notice…

"A…Aaya? Your…hair?"

It was true. Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru all stared at the man in shock. The long, silver hair (grown long thanks to Ayame's 'Rurabara and Kandra' story) was gone, cut off below his ears. Now, it was gently curling around his cheekbones, looking a great deal like someone else's hair-do.

Apparently able to read minds, Ayame stroked the bob and said, "Yes Yuki, my dear tei-chan! You have _inspired_ me! And I, who am always looking for ways to show my admiration, have decided to wear my hair _just like yours_!"

Yuki clenched his teeth in anger. The moron…"Hey! Next time, before you jump off your chair and try copying me, why don't you run it by me first?"

Ayame, unperturbed, continued to smile. The others now noticed the small figure standing behind him in a blue and silver kimono. Her hair, once in adorable pigtails, was also shorn short now. "Ohayo, Yuki-kun and Tohru-chan!" Mine stepped forward to hug Ayame's right arm, carefully, so that he wouldn't transform.

Yuki, shell-shocked couldn't find the words to say anything. Tohru, on the other hand, recovered quickly and chimed, "Ohayo, Mine-san! We didn't know that you and Ayame were coming over today!"

"Well, of course not! The element of surprise is _essential_ in a career of fantasy like ours!" The snake laughed happily, putting his hand on Mine's own.

"Well, you certainly surprised us!" Shigure laughed. "Please, sit down for breakfast, you two! Our dear Tohru-kun has made much more food than the four of us could possibly eat!"

"Speak for yourself," muttered Kyo.

"I think we shall, shan't we Mine-chan?" With a nod from Mine and an obliging smile from Tohru, Ayame nudged his way over to a seat by his brother, ignoring the long, irritated breath that came out of Yuki's mouth. He reached up to tug at the scarf around his neck. It was really tight, but it was the only thing hiding the scar on his neck. He couldn't allow _anyone_ to see that. Mine saw him do so across the table and mouthed, _Are you okay?_

_Fine, _he mouthed back, giving Mine a charismatic smile. He was so sad that he was making her worry like this.

"What the heck are you doing here, anyway?" Kyo growled while stuffing food into his mouth at the speed of a tree-chipper.

Ayame raised his hand to flip his long hair over his shoulder in a precocious manner, only to remember that it no longer existed. Trying to cover the movement, he reached behind his head to scratch his neck. "Well…to see dear Gure-san and my sweet tei-chan, of course. Naturally, Mine had to accompany me. Tohru's bright face is always such an inspiration in our work! I'm sure you feel the same way, don't you, Yuki-tei?"

"Give it a rest!" Angry and embarrassed, Yuki drew his arm across his chest and brought his elbow into Ayame's side.

Mine's eyes widened in horror and she raised a hand to smother the gasp coming out of her lips. Yuki, in his ignorance, had elbowed Ayame in the side where his brother was badly injured.

A wave of pain immediately broke over Ayame and he had to keep himself from screaming. He tried to hide the grimace by bending over and looking at the plate in front of him. _Kami…_ He may have deserved that one…but why _there_?

"Ahh.." Ayame stuttered. "Gure-san? Is there someplace I can sit for a moment? I suddenly feel a bit faint."

Shigure, who was slowly piecing together the whole thing, nodded and helped Ayame up. Mine, terrified, jumped up as well and they both supported Aya out of the room.

Yuki's dark eyes were confused and a bit frightened by the scene. Tohru almost stood up to go to the group, but Shigure waved her away with a smile. Biting her lip, the young girl took a seat next to the worried Yuki and absolutely clueless Kyo, who was still trying to figuring out what just happened.

Once they were out of the earshot of Yuki and the others, Shigure whispered, "Aya? Whatever happened?"

* * *

"That's quite a tale," Shigure commented.

He, Ayame, and Mine were all sitting in Shigure's office, where Ayame had just finished the abbreviated version of the other day's events.

Mine finished re-wrapping the wound on Ayame's side. Yuki's strong hit had caused it to start weeping blood again. The tears were fogging Mine's eyes. She knew that Yuki hadn't caused his brother harm on purpose…but still…

Shigure finally raised his head and opened his eyes. "Aya…you should have known not to cross Akito. That's not a wise thing to do."

"What would you have had me do?" Ayame inquired hollowly. "I've never protected Yuki. That was my last chance to prove…"

"To prove what? What good would it do for you to end up dead for defending Yuki? You would die, and Yuki wouldn't be any safer from Akito! You…baka." Shigure glanced over at the tearful Mine. "And now, you've dragged _her_ into this too!"

Mine grabbed Ayame's arm defensively. "I don't mind staying with him at all. I don't regret any of it."

"You will," Shigure threatened darkly. Mine trembled under his gaze and she squeezed Ayame's arm even tighter.

"We have no regrets." Ayame stood up and looked Shigure down. He nodded at Mine. She obediently stood and, linking hands, they headed toward the door.

"Baka! What are you thinking? You can't go out in a state like that!"

Ayame chuckled. "That's exactly what Tori-san said."

* * *

Mine and Ayame walked through the snow quietly. Mine bit her lip before asking, "Are you all right? Are you sure we should have left so soon? You're in bad shape."

"I'm…fine. Yuki's okay for now. That's good enough for me."

The tears spilled over Mine's brown eyes as she cried and cried. Ayame was so weak, but his concern was still for his little brother.

"Mine-suren…" Ayame gasped, causing Mine to look up suddenly. "I don't want anyone else to suffer. Not Yuki…and not you."

"Boss, you shouldn't talk. Your energy is already very low. Just rest; it's okay with me."

Ayame stopped in a snow drift, the cold wind brushing through his short hair, and whispered, "…and, if I don't protect you…then…what…am I…living for in…the fir..st…place?"

"Ayame? AYAME!!!"


	5. Chapter 5

I can't believe I'm updating so soon! It makes me deliriously happy! Thanks for the reviews and I hope they'll keep coming! Thanks to those of you who alerted me to the mistakes in my Japanese. Arigato.

mousecat- Thanks for staying with me! And you'll get your wish…one way or another. I love Mine as well…she's such a sweetheart! Next chapter, you'll see some REAL Akito-evilness and more Ayame stupidity/bravery. It's gonna be intense.

osaka-chan4- Weehoo! Updates. And cliffhangies! MWAHAHA! I still don't know it Aaya will be okay. I haven't decided yet. I actually winced when I _wrote_ the part where Yuki accidentally hurt Ayame. And _I _knew it was coming! Yes…this story is Ayame/Mine…one of my favorite pairings in FB as well! Your profile picture is the bomb. Thank you for the continued reading and reviews. It'll keep getting more suspenseful (I hope )

Seto K4iba1- You're welcome. I love this story WAY too much to leave it unfinished!

Tuliharja- Mine is definitely the support system in Ayame's life and Shigure…well, he's kind of the anti-hero in this story (he may turn into a villain, but that's not my plan as of yet). Although Ayame and Shigure are friends, I get the feeling that Shigure doesn't want ANYONE messing with his plans, not even his cousin. Ayame won't quit yet. Mine and Yuki are his reason for living.

**Chapter Five:**

Mine didn't know what to do. Ayame had collapsed in the snow and when she'd tried to help him, he'd transformed. The little quivering snake before her was shivering from cold and pain and there were visible gashes and scars running interposed with his scales.

She'd tried calling for help, but they were too far from both Shigure's house and the road for anyone to hear her. She could only sit in the snow and cry desperately. She didn't dare to move the little snake for fear that she'd do more damage and perhaps even bleed him to death.

What could she do? She dared not to pick him up, but he'd freeze if she didn't do something. Her mind started racing. As a child she'd gone on campouts with friends and before they went the adults had given them a _huge_ first aid lecture, though the moment to actually _use_ the said information never arrived. What were you supposed to do for a hypothermic person? Uh…okay. Step one: take off their clothes.

_Well,_ she thought, _that's already taken care of._

Step two: get them covered up with something warm. Warm…warm…Mine looked around but like reindeer from Christmas specials involving grumpy green creatures, warm things were scarce and there were none to be found. _What now? _She reached up and rubbed her arms against the sleeves of her…

…coat!

It took mere seconds for Mine to strip off her cream and gold coat and wrap it as completely around Ayame as she could without moving him.

_Okay…now we're getting somewhere. _What was the last step? Oh, that's right! You were supposed to strip down and lie next to them to use your body heat to warm them up.

What?

_Well, that won't work_. It wouldn't do any good for both of them to freeze to death in the snow. _Forget the stripping part!_ And that's what she did. She laid down on the powdery ground and sheltered Ayame with her body in a way that wouldn't squish him like a pansnake (haha clever wordplay).

She ran a pale white hand over Ayame's scales and whispered to him softly. "I'm not scared. I'm not going to leave you. I'll never leave you. I want to stay with you forever and ever. Please…let me stay with you."

* * *

Yuki piled the dirty dishes from breakfast into the sink. However, his mind was far from the task. It was on his onii-san…and his sudden departure.

"Well, there's a first time for everything." Yuki turned his head to see Kyo propped up against the doorframe.

"What do you mean?"

Kyo stood up straight, his red hair brushing across his face. "Well, usually we can't get that moron to ever leave, but today he just…well…left all of a sudden."

Yuki nodded by way of reply. It was so strange. Onii-san had been right in the middle of one of his signature lunacy speeches when, suddenly, he had gone in a hurry. _Onii-san said he was feeling faint. I wonder if he's sick? No. Shigure would never let him out in this weather if he was sick…and he's too much of a baby to walk through the snow, even when he's healthy._ Now that Yuki thought about it, he realized that he could pinpoint the exact moment when Ayame's behavior had changed-right after Yuki had elbowed him in the side.

Kyo moved out of the way suddenly and Honda-san came in. Her eyes were cast down and clouded with worry. "Honda…san? Is something the matter?"

She sighed and looked up. "I'm worried about Ayame. He didn't seem too well when he left. We should have made him stay."

"Heh," grunted Kyo, "he's an idiot, but I think he'll be okay. Don't worry about it." Honda-san gave a small smile, but it was clear that she was still very concerned.

Yuki felt uneasy for some reason…like there was something hanging over them. "I…I'm going to go see what mischief Shigure's up to." He shuffled off to Shigure's study. He could hear rummaging coming from the other side of the door and, without knocking, let himself in.

He wished he hadn't.

Shigure looked up from his activities, startled by Yuki's entrance. Yuki opened his mouth to ask the dog what he was doing, but immediately shut it again to stop himself from hurling. There, in the dog's hands, were strips of once-white cloth. They weren't white anymore; they were stained with blood.

Shigure quickly threw the fabric away and Yuki caught his breath and swallowed his breakfast for the second time. "What…what's going on here?"

"Going on where?" Shigure faked innocence.

Angrily, Yuki stepped forward and slammed his first forcefully on the table. "Don't play with me! I'm not a child! I saw the sheets in your hands! I saw the blood!"

Caught red-handed like a child stealing from a candy store, Shigure gave out a resigned sigh. "Well? What now Sherlock Holmes? You want a medal or something?"

"Where did that blood come from? And what does it have to do with my onii-san?"

"Sharp as a knife, that's what you are Yuki-kun."

"STOP! I want the truth! No more games!"

When Shigure looked up, there was a dark look like murder in his eyes. "You want the truth?" When Yuki nodded, Shigure smiled like a serial killer. "Fine. I'll give you the truth. The blood is Aaya's."

Yuki retched. "Onii…san's?"

"That's right kid. Akito attacked him last night."

Yuki's eyes widened. He'd never even seen Akito talk to his onii-san before…or even acknowledge his presence. "Akito attacked him? Why?"

The smile grew more twisted and more crooked as Shigure said, "Ayame defended you in front of Akito. Akito became angry and tried to kill him. That's how Aaya lost his hair. And just now, where you elbowed him? That's where his worst wound is."

Yuki threw up. He hurled all over Shigure's floor. And when there was nothing more in his stomach to barf up, he started coughing up blood. His blood mixed with that of his brother's, already on the floor. He couldn't stop retching. It was sickening. Akito had tried to kill Ayame because of _him!_ Ayame's hair was gone _because of him! _And now, what had he done? How had he shown his gratitude to his brother? By harming him. "Kami…" he swore. "Oh Kami…oh Kami. No. Onegai no."

_Onii-san's out in the snow!_

Yuki bolted upright, wiping the bile off his lips with his sleeve. He needed to get to Ayame…and fast. Ignoring whatever Shigure was shouting at him, he ran out the back door of the house and into the snow and looked around rapidly for traces of Ayame or Mine-san. Finally, he saw two sets of footprints in the snow and took off running again.

The snow was coming down in piles now and Yuki struggled to keep afloat on the massive white, powdery ocean. "Onii-san! Onii-san!" He cried, stifling a cough. It was getting harder and harder to breathe as his body started shaking from both the exertion and the cold. He would probably lose the power to move before he ever found Ayame.

"Onii-san! Kuramae-san! ONII-SAN!" Yuki screamed the names at the top of his lungs-coughing-tears streaming down his face. "Onii-san! WHERE ARE YOU?!!!"


	6. Chapter 6

Seto K4iba1: I believe that Ayame and Yuki really do have a deeper bond than they believe. Thanks for keeping up with me!

osaka-chan4: Oh yes! The suspense is the best part! Yes…blood 2. Keep that hope up; I have a feeling that Aaya's going to need it. I also LUV Aaya/Mine. It's awesome. Shigure's up to no good.

mousecat: Thank you so much for the great review. Mine does really remind me of an elder version of Tohru. I laughed when I wrote about Kyo and Yuki actually having a civil conversation. Yuki is getting braver…a VERY good thing. Shigure has a wicked temperament, that's definitely true.

stacyTHEemo: Thanks for reading and reviewing! It means a lot! I haven't decided whether or not Ayame will end up okay. It's all up to my dark mind and twisted Akito.

Tuliharja: Ne, I don't think Shigure's meddling _could_ harm Ayame anymore than he already is. Yeah, running out into the snow is pretty dumb. *Pats Yuki on the head* Silly nezumi.

Well, here we go! More fun! (EVIL AKITO WARNING!)

**Chapter Six:**

Mine was lying down in the snow, half asleep, when she heard the voice rising through the snowdrift. "Kuramae-san! ONII-SAN!" She bolted upright; she knew that voice.

"Yuki? Yuki!" She looked around wildly for the small boy. She knew how susceptible he was to the cold…Ayame had told her. She had to guide him to her before the worst happened and she had two frozen Somas on her hands, but she couldn't leave Ayame. That left yelling as her only option. "Yuki-kun! We're here! Yuki!"

"Kuramae…san?" The voice was tired and out of breath. Mine's heart started racing as she cried louder and louder for Ayame's brother. "Yuki! Yuki! Please…help me!" Finally, through the powdery wind, there came a silver-haired boy, clutching at his arms. When he looked up through the biting cold and saw her in the snow, his eyes widened and he broke into a sprint. "Kuramae-san! What happened?"

Sadly, she motioned to the snake lying in the snow. "He transformed, and I didn't want to hurt him by moving him. I tried calling for help, but no one could hear me." Mine was on the verge of hysterics and her voice was raspy from the cold weather and all the shouting. "I'm so glad you found us!"

"I'm glad I found _you_, Mine-san!" Yuki too was exhausted and filled with worry and guilt. Though Ayame's wounds were minimized in his snake form, Yuki could see that his onii-san had been hurt very badly. "I'll go back to the house and get Shigure, and while I'm there I'll call my cousin Hatori, he's a doctor, to come take a look at onii-san's injuries."

Mine started to nod before realizing, frantically, "But…how will you find your way back to us?"

Yuki sighed. He hadn't thought of that. He'd nearly died finding them the first time. They could be covered in snow by the time Shigure was dispatched. _What to do…what to do…_

Yuki puzzled over the situation. Nothing was coming, and he knew that each moment he spent thinking was one moment more of Ayame's life that was slipping away. In the end, it was Mine who solved their quandary. "I know!" She reached into her coat, draped over Ayame, and pulled out her emergency sewing kit. After fumbling through it, she pulled out the biggest spool of thread that Yuki had ever seen. "I'll hold the end of the spool; you take the other one. That way, you'll make a trail leading back to us. There should be enough thread to get you back to Shigure's house." Taking the thread from Mine's thin, cold fingers, Yuki nodded and turned around back toward the house. He was a good five feet away before he heard Mine's voice calling out to him. He turned around to hear her shout, "Yuki? Please…hurry!"

* * *

Yuki almost cried for joy when he saw Shigure's house in the distance, and the dog himself standing on the porch. Carefully, Yuki tugged on the end of the string in his hand and waded through the thigh-deep snow. There was a look on Shigure's face quite unlike Yuki had ever seen before, but he didn't pay much attention to it.

"Shigure! Hurry! We have…"

Shigure slapped Yuki right across the face. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? YOU_ WEREN'T_ THINKING AT _ALL_! YOU COULD HAVE DIED, YOU **STUPID** CHILD!"

He took Yuki by the shoulders and shook him hard. Yuki, worn out from the cold and from this physical assault, started rasping. Shigure didn't notice. Breathing became harder and harder and Yuki was gasping for air now…air that didn't come. Kami! Why wouldn't the air come? Yuki frantically dug his nails into Shigure's arms until Shigure realized his cousin's plight and released his grip on the younger boy. Yuki fell to the wooden floor, drinking in the air like a parched person gulping down water.

"Well?" asked Shigure, wiping sweat from his brow, also tired from this outburst. "What do you have to say for yourself?

Clearing his cotton-like throat, Yuki managed to get out, "Ay…Ayame…collapsed out in the snow…he…and Kuramae-san…need help!"

Like a firefighter who'd just heard the fire alarm sounding off, Shigure snapped into survival mode. "Where?"

Yuki put his hand out. "At the end of this string. Hurry, or they'll both freeze to death!" Yuki tried to uncurl his fingers to give Shigure the thread, but they wouldn't move. They were blue now. Angry and frightened, Yuki took his other hand and pried his cold fingers open, trying to ignore the stinging that followed. "Go fast. I'll call Hatori for help."

Shigure nodded and shouted, "Kyo! Get out here!"

The cat angrily rounded the corner, having been close by the whole time. "_Wha-t?" _He drew out.

Shigure grabbed his shoulder and said, like a comic book superhero, "Aaya's in trouble. Let's go." The dog lunged out into the snowdrift, pulling the cat along, and they immediately sunk down in the huge, frozen mass. Kyo started cursing at Shigure for being clumsy and getting them all wet. It would have been comical, if not for the circumstances at present. _Great, _thought Yuki. _Mine and onii-san's lives are in the hands of Shigure and Kyo. They're doomed. _

* * *

The phone on Akito's desk rang. Hatori, who was taking the young god's temperature, glanced over at it apprehensively. _Is it Ayame? _he wondered, very concerned for his cousin's well-being. He was torn; he didn't know whether to tend to Akito or grab the phone and risk her wrath. Thankfully, the choice was made for him.

"Aren't you going to get that - thing? It's causing an unholy racket."

Hatori nearly jumped at the phone, checking the caller ID frantically. To his relief, it was Shigure's phone number, not Ayame's, which was displayed on the screen. He let out a sigh. Maybe Ayame's injuries hadn't been as bad as he'd thought? He hoped sincerely that that was the case.

He picked up the phone, exasperated. He was in no mood to deal with the inu's antics today. "What do you want, Shigure?"

The voice at the other end of the phone was desperate, tired, and definitely not Shigure's. "Hatori? It's me."

Hatori's eyes widened. "Yu…Yuki? What's going on?"

The young rat was choking back tears, that much was obvious, even from the other end of a telephone line. "Hatori-san…It's…I…Ayame was over here and…I…I…..

Ihurthim-andnowhesout-inthesnowandhe-transformedandnowhes-goingtodie!"

Hatori caught enough words in the hysterical boy's rushed sentence to realize that Ayame _was_ in trouble, as he'd feared. K_ami. _

"I'll get there as fast as I can. Just don't panic, Yuki. I'll sure we'll be able to get him well."

"Okay," the muffled sniffled came through the phone. "Please, Hatori-san, just hurry. He's the only family I have." The phone hung up abruptly on Yuki's end. Hatori stood silent for a moment before whispering, "Bye," to the pulsating beep that signaled a dead line. Putting the phone back down in its stand, he grabbed his coat off the chair and walked toward the door.

"And just where do you think _you're_ going?"

The words were chillingly hateful and they sent a shudder through Hatori's whole body. He turned around to face Akito and said, "Ayame's not well. I must go tend to him." A smile slowly formed on Akito's lips as she remembered why Ayame was 'not well'. "Yuki called to tell you that?"

"Yes."

The smirk disappeared. The god rolled over onto her side, her back facing Hatori now. That was never good…it meant that she wasn't in the mood to argue. She always got her way in that position. "Why do they need you? Call them back and tell them to get an ambulance, or call one for them."

Hatori froze as he realized what Akito was trying to do. She wanted Ayame to suffer…to know what it meant to defy god. Quickly, Hatori came up with an excuse. "He's transformed. If we call an ambulance, we'll have given out the family secret. It would be difficult to suppress so many memories." Akito grunted. It was a good excuse.

She fought it with stubborn will and power. "Either you call an ambulance or you don't. I don't care. You're not leaving Soma house. You're not leaving _me_."

"Akito! Be reasonable! Ayame could die if he doesn't get attention!"

"One less burden to worry about." If any other person had said those words, Hatori would have hit them. To Akito, they were just burdens…bothers. They were things, toys, not people.

Ayame's time was running out. In a last-ditch effort, Hatori did what he'd only done a very few times before. He threw himself to the floor beside Akito's bed and prostrated himself on the ground, arms and legs splayed in submission. In this pose, he started shamefully groveling before the young girl. "Onegai, Akito-sama," he addressed her honorably, trying to fluff her ego a bit. "I _beg_ of you! Allow me to go to Ayame! He's my cousin and my friend! Onegai…onegai…let me **go** to him!" He pushed his body as flat against the floor as it would go, hoping that Akito would be influenced by his pathetic pleas for mercy.

To his astonishment, he heard Akito roll over in bed to face him again. Tentatively, he looked up. She was smiling a horrid, crooked, twisted smile. "Very well. Your display has _moved_ me. You may go tend to the baka…on one condition."

Of course there would be a catch to it. Hatori would have been surprised if her permission didn't come with strings. He braced himself for the worst, as though he was making a deal with the devil…not god.

The worst did indeed come. Running bony fingers through her cropped hair, Akito snickered and replied, "You may go to Ayame, but when you come back to the estate, you will bring Yuki with you."

_No kami! Why this?_ Hatori's soul was stricken with pain. Akito was now trying not only to punish Ayame for his defiance, but also to tear the two brothers apart again, and the last time she had it had caused both of them extreme sadness. Why again? Couldn't Akito just leave Ayame and Yuki alone?

What would Hatori do? Allow Ayame to die or betray Yuki by selling him back into slavery under Akito? Either way, a life would be on his consciousness. _Kami…why do you put me into these situations, Akito? To test me? To punish me? Why?_

The Soma doctor's frame was beginning to quake. He could feel Akito's eyes on him, ready to revoke her offer if he didn't make up his mind. At just the right, or wrong, moment, Hatori remembered the words that Yuki had said on the telephone:

"_Please, Hatori-san, just hurry. He's the only family I have."_

"Very well. I will bring Yuki to you." Hatori couldn't believe he was saying that…but it was no use. Yuki had begged him to help Ayame, and Hatori wasn't the kind to break a promise…not now when he'd already caused the nezumi so much pain. _Gomenasai Ayame…gomenasai Yuki. _Subserviently, Hatori bowed before Akito and rushed out of the room.

Akito smiled demonically. She had won yet another round.


End file.
